Pickleball Lens Guide

Whether you’re new to the sport or you’ve been hittin’ the pickleball court for years, our pickleball lens guide has something for everyone. We cover popular topics like the best lenses for indoor vs. outdoor games, lens features to boost your performance, and the big question on every player’s mind: what is the best lens color for pickleball?

Already know what kind of lenses you want? Feel free to browse our pickleball eyewear.

In This Post:

Pickleball Lens Guide Video
What is the best lens color for pickleball?
Rose Lenses
Brown Lenses
What is the best lens color for indoor pickleball?
Clear Lenses
Yellow Lenses
Pickleball Eyewear Lens Features
Transition Lenses
Interchangeable Lenses
Mirror Lenses
What Not to Get on Your Pickleball Lenses
Gray Lenses
Polarized Lenses
Shop Pickleball Lenses Online at SportRx

Pickleball Lens Guide Video

To see visual examples of lens tints in different settings, join Eyeglass Tyler for the video version of our pickleball lens guide below!

What is the best lens color for pickleball?

Let’s get right to it! In short, the best lens color for pickleball is a rose or copper tint that maximizes color contrast in your field of view. Brown, bronze, or amber-toned tints will also do the trick. These lens colors work best for outdoor pickleball games, and we explain why below.

Rose Lenses

Rose and copper lenses are best for sunny, daytime pickleball games. Brighter tints like this separate colors on the light spectrum for greater definition and the most vibrant color contrast. That means whether your pickleball is yellow or lime green, it’ll be easier to spot! This could shave valuable moments off your reaction time and improve your accuracy.

A rosy copper base tint is great for just about anyone in natural lighting. It even works well for cloudy or overcast days. However, if you prefer a bit more coverage, a mirror coating can help offset glare. You can also opt for a brown lens tint, which we get into next!

Here are our Sports Opticians top rose lens recommendations. All of them are available in prescription! Note: many of our SportRx lenses below are ideal for multiple activities. To learn more, click on the links wherever you see them.

OAKLEY PRIZM™ DARK GOLF

SPORTRX START TO FINISH

OAKLEY PRIZM™ FIELD

Brown Lenses

Brown lenses are next in our pickleball lens guide, which are another excellent lens color for outdoor pickleball games. They’ll give you enough contrast with slightly less color intensity than a rosy tint. If you live in a climate with all types of weather and seasons, brown lenses are super versatile and give you a fantastic all-around visual experience.

If you’re on the hunt for a brown or bronze lens, check out the ones below:

OAKLEY PRIZM™ TUNGSTEN

SPORTRX DAY & NIGHT CONTRAST

SPORTRX SUNSET

What is the best lens color for indoor pickleball?

Because lighting can vary between courts, the best lens color for indoor pickleball is actually a clear lens. This gives you the best clarity no matter what your lighting situation is. However, it’s just as important that you add a quality anti-reflective (AR) coating to guard against distracting glare and ghost images from artificial lighting. Not only are they a nuisance, your eyes will work harder, which could cause eye strain and fatigue.

Clear Lenses

A quality AR coating boosts visual acuity, cuts glare interference, and lasts longer than cheaper options. This technology ranges in quality and for the most part, you’ll get what you pay for. Our GlareDefense™ coating lasts at least two years with proper care and also repels dirt, oil, and water! If you’re still on the fence and want to know more, check out our blog, Is Anti-Reflective on My Glasses Worth It?

Our Sports Opticians recommend The Closer for its anti-reflective and blue light-blocking qualities.

SPORTRX THE CLOSER

Yellow Lenses

Yellow lenses can also be used for indoor pickleball if you want a little less light transmission. While it’s the brightest of all lens colors, it offers a more muted view than clear lenses. This is a great choice if your club happens to have exceptionally bright indoor lighting and you want to tone it down a bit.

One caveat: if you’ve never worn a yellow lens before, keep in mind that it might take some getting used to! A lot of our customers love it, while others don’t. If you’re curious and want to try them, you can shop risk-free at SportRx. With every order backed by our See Better Guarantee, you’re never stuck with something you’re not totally stoked about.

We recommend the Bullseye for yellow lenses. It adds a generous amount of contrast and naturally filters out blue light to keep your vision relaxed and focused.

SPORTRX BULLSEYE

Lastly, if you play indoor pickleball, you may want to check out pickleball protective eyewear. Since you’re likely playing around more walls, there’s a greater chance of the ball ricocheting. Check out our blogs on the Best Prescription Safety Glasses for Pickleball and the Best Pickleball Safety Glasses.

Pickleball Eyewear Lens Features

To get the most out of your pickleball glasses, you can also customize them with innovative lens features. As with all lenses, it’s best to tailor them to your sport or activity. To save you time, our pickleball lens guide outlines our Sports Optician’s top recommendations below, followed by a few you’ll want to avoid.

Transition Lenses

Transition lenses—also known as photochromic lenses—darken with UV exposure. They often go from a clear or almost clear to a dark tint. If you’re someone who likes to play pickleball in a variety of settings and light conditions, Transition lenses will keep you prepared for anything! Whether indoors, outdoors, sunny, overcast, or variable lighting, your lenses will adjust to all of it. Our Sports Opticians recommend these for the pickleball player who can’t decide between clear or tinted lenses, or just wants one super versatile pair they can take anywhere.

Interchangeable Lenses

If you play at all hours of the day or like to switch between sports, interchangeable lenses are another handy option for your pickleball eyewear. Instead of adjusting automatically like Transitions, you can manually switch out the lenses based on your sport or lighting. This is ideal for pickleball players who want more variety than what Transitions offer, since you can use the exact tint and lens coating you want. With tons of options, you can get several lenses for the same frame to use for any activity!

Mirror Lenses

Let’s state the obvious: mirror coatings look cool. While they’re mostly cosmetic, they can also add a slight darkening effect or influence the base tint on your lenses. You can never go wrong with Oakley PRIZM™ lenses, which have strategically paired tints and mirrors based on activity. But if you’re looking to amp up your style on the court and cut a little glare while you’re at it, mirrored lenses will do it!

What Not to Get on Your Pickleball Lenses

There are a few lens tints and features you’ll want to avoid, and our pickleball lens guide covers the main ones below. You might be surprised!

Gray Lenses

While they’re great for your everyday pair of sunglasses, grey lenses provide no real benefits for ball sports, including pickleball. Gray neutralizes color rather than makes it stand out, which is ideal when you want coverage but not so much when you’re looking to speed up your reflexes.

Polarized Lenses

Should you get polarized lenses for pickleball? The short answer: no. Polarization is excellent for cutting glare, but also affects depth perception in the process. This can hinder your ability to accurately judge the ball's distance, speed, spin, and trajectory. Pickleball courts don’t usually have glaring surfaces either, so you won’t need a lens treatment as strong as polarized lenses. Our Sports Opticians say, “Skip it!”

Shop Pickleball Lenses Online at SportRx

No matter what you’re looking for in your pickleball lenses, you’ll find it at SportRx! Whether you want to customize your order or you have a sophisticated prescription, we’re passionate about helping you see better while doing the things you love. We’ll do all we can to make that happen.

We stand by our service and stake our reputation on our expertise, which is why every order is backed by our See Better Guarantee. If you’re not fully pleased with your pickleball eyewear, simply let us know within 45 days of receiving it and we’d be happy to set up a full refund or exchange for a better pair. We even cover free domestic shipping both ways!

Contact us to get started!